HomesportsOrganizer of Dubai PBA Games f'd up, lets Talk n Text Team Stranded at the Airport

Organizer of Dubai PBA Games f'd up, lets Talk n Text Team Stranded at the Airport

July 03, 2011

Before I go to the title story, allow me to say that I was contacted by the organizer / promoter Ramon Pizarras 3 weeks before the games to design a t-shirt and logo for the PBA Games in Dubai. As a big PBA and sports fan, I agreed (with terms). After I sent my design to him - I got no word and he can't be contacted by any means. I didn't get ANYTHING in return - even complimentary tickets. Let me clear that I DID NOT volunteer for that job.

--------------------------------------------------------

Today I learned a shameful news - The Talk n Text Tropang Texters team were stranded in Dubai Airport. Thanks to the promoter Mr. Ramon Pizarras who left them out after the celebrated games. According to a reliable source, the organizers missed to pay the hotel bills of the teams and their return tickets.

According to Coach Chot Reyes tweet (below), the (Asiana?) Hotel management refused to release their passport after knowing that an amount of $8000 is still in due. All three teams (Ginebra and BMEG the other 2) paid the remaining hotel fees from their own pocket in order for their passport to be released.

Unfortunately, Talk N’ Text Tropang Texters was the only team stranded at Dubai Airport.

@coachot Chot Reyes
Nightmare in Dubai! Hotel refuses to release all 3 teams' passports as organizer still has $8000 debt. We had to advance d funds! Anobayan

I don't have to add up anything else. Just look at the photos and read their tweets below and tell me how you'll feel.

rich_alvarez Richard Alvarez
Man, first they wouldnt release our passports at the hotel, and now they didnt confirm our plane tickets!? This isnt good..

fmango Fidel Mangonon III
Either this bad experience in Dubai for TNT has 'grandslam' written all over it, or is a bad omen re: its particular bid for it.

@rich_alvarez Richard Alvarez
So we've been in the airport for 9 hours.. We had to buy our own plane tickets because our promoter couldn't settle the bill.. Wow.

---------------------------------

With regards to my issue with Mr. Ramon Pizarras, it was clear that my work had been used all throughout the event. This photo below shows that customized PBA (Dubai) logo -with buildings silhouette at the back - and yet I got no single word from him.

I promoted his event on my network. That blog entry alone got 5,348 hits, 433 times shared on Facebook, and 97 times Tweeted, and I got loads of calls and politely lead them to ticket sales. And no word from Mr. Ramon Pizarras. I designed the shirt and logo despite my super busy schedule (because he follows up). I was not asking for payment - I only hold on to his promise that

I'll be receiving an allowance for the shirt design

I will be joining their committee and will be receiving an allowance (means automatic entry to the games)

I will be his official photographer on upcoming sports events

I will be his official blogger / publisher on upcoming sports events

All these happened through phone conversation. And sociable I am, I agreed. I trust people easily as much as I don't. But this served another lesson to me. And to you Ramon Pizarras, shame on you! I've lost all respect I thought you deserve. Shame on you - to let the guests teams down. Shame on you for running away. Shame on you for avoiding to communicate with me - with us. I wouldn't have bothered to blog about my personal experience with you - but letting a guest professional basketball team this way, sorry i couldn't help it. This is not the way to treat guests. And what happened to me is certainly not the way to treat people who render help wholeheartedly.